Corner connector for a rack

ABSTRACT

A corner connector for a switching cabinet with depth and length struts which are disposed horizontally and joined to vertical frame pieces in corner areas by corner connectors. Substantial flexibility of use is achieved with the corner connector having a compensating element enabling differently structured vertical frame pieces to be connected according to choice.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a rack for a switching cabinet with horizontaldepth and length struts to which vertical frame legs are attached incorner areas with corner connections and wherein the corner connectionhas a compensating piece.

2. Description of Prior Art

Such a rack is known from French Patent Reference FR 2 674 581.

The rack shown in this document has a lower and upper frame. In thecorner areas of the lower and upper frame vertical frame profiles can beattached. For this attachment, corner connectors are used. The cornerconnectors have three plug inserts, each vertical to the others. Thehorizontal depth and length struts as well as the vertical frame legsare pushed onto these plug inserts. For the fixation of a vertical frameleg two clamp elements are used. The clamp elements have interlockingprojections and can be screwed onto the plug insert whereby theinterlocking projections stand out over the outer geometry of the pluginsert. The vertical frame profile has two recesses which are formed andadapted in their geometry to the interlocking projections. On pushingthe vertical frame profile onto the plug insert the clamp elements areinitially swiveled out and then snap behind the recesses so that thevertical frame profile is compressed onto an impact face of the cornerconnector with its front side.

Varying demands are made on switching cabinets. The vertical frame legsin particular must be formed adapted thereto. Thus, for example, variouscross-sections are used for frame legs which are suitable for variouspossible designs.

Adapted switching cabinets have been conceived for these varyingpossible applications whereby a high expenditure is required.

For example, in German Patent Reference DE 41 35 108 a corner connectoris known in which three projections perpendicular to one another aremounted on a base body. The individual frame legs and length and depthstruts can be pushed onto the projections.

Another corner connector is described in German Patent Reference DE 4439 624. A base body is also used on which two projections stand out foreach frame leg and each length and depth strut. The projections areplugged into hollow chambers, for example of the frame leg.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is one objective of this invention to provide a switching cabinet ofthe type mentioned initially which offers in a simple manner flexibilityfor varying possible applications.

This objective is accomplished with optional differently structuredvertical frame legs which can be attached and the open spacing betweenneighboring vertical frame legs determined by compensating pieces.

With this development it is possible for inserts each with a varyinginsert width to be affixed between the vertical frame legs. This makesit possible to prepare racks that can be adapted to various systems ofmeasurement without great expenditure. For example, a rack which isdesigned in the metric system can be modified simply so that 19" unitscan be introduced between the vertical frame legs. With this simplemeasure a great flexibility in switching cabinets can be made possible.

According to a development of this invention, the depth and lengthstruts are formed as hollow profiles which have openings for verticalinserts in the corner areas of the rack and the compensating pieces canbe introduced into the openings.

In the case of such developments of a rack, inserts as well ascompensating pieces can be introduced into the openings. Thecompensating pieces can vary independently of the cross-sectionalgeometries of the vertical frame leg. The insert itself can also bestructured variably.

According to a simple development of this invention the length and depthstruts have the same cross-sectional form and are bent from one sectionof sheet metal so that the length and depth struts have a horizontalcover section to which an angled section running parallel to the outerside of the rack adjoins, to which a perpendicular fold directed inwardsadjoins. A wall extending parallel to the angled section adjoins theperpendicular fold which together with the perpendicular fold forms anopening recessed with respect to the angled section, and the wallextends into a base part. By the length and depth struts having the samecross-sectional form and being bent from one section of sheet metal asimple base frame can be constructed.

If the cover section is set back in the longitudinal direction of thedepth and length struts with respect to the base part, an opening forthe insert is formed. The insert can abut the walls of the length ordepth struts with stop faces. Thus the insert can be aligned simply andcan quickly and securely be connected to the length and depth struts,for example by welding.

In a simple development of a frame leg in which the open distancebetween the two vertical front frame legs is variable the verticalinsert is introduced into the opening formed in the corner area, theinsert abuts the wall of the depth strut with a fastening section, andthe insert abuts a stop face of a compensating piece which is introducedbetween the insert and the cover section of the length strut.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

This invention will be explained in the following according to anexample represented in the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective lateral view of a socket of a rack to which avertical frame leg can be affixed, and

FIG. 2 is a perspective lateral view of the socket according to FIG. 1on which another vertical frame leg can be mounted.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows a socket comprising depth and length struts 20 and 30 withthe same cross-sectional geometry. The depth or length struts 20 or 30are bent from one section of sheet metal. Thereby a horizontal coversection 21, 31 is provided from which an angled section 22, 32 is foldedperpendicularly downwards. The angled sections 22, 32 are parallel tothe outer sides of the rack. Lateral wall elements of the switchingcabinet can abut the angled sections 22, 32.

A seal can be provided between the lateral wall elements and the angledsections 22, 32 for sealing. A perpendicular fold 23, 33 is bent backfrom the angled sections 22, 32 and extends into a vertical wall 24, 34which in the socket rests on the base. In the recess formed by the wall24, 34 and the fold 23, 33 a fold of the lateral wall elements can beaccommodated. On an underside of the length or depth struts 30 or 20,which are not visible, a base part 26 is disposed.

For the formation of a corner connection, the cover section 21, 31 isset back at the face of the length and depth struts 30, 20 with respectto the base part 26. Thus an opening is formed which provides access tothe inside of the length or depth struts 30 or 20. An insert 60 can beset into the opening. The insert 60 is perpendicular to the length ordepth strut 30 or 20 and has two centering faces 61, 62 perpendicular toone another which abut the walls 24, 34. On the underside the insert 60rests on the base part 26. At two free faces 64, 65 the insert 60 abutsthe cover sections 21, 31 on the face. By the insert 60 abutting thewalls 34, 24 with the two free faces 61, 62 a vertical alignment can beachieved simply. The insert 60 can then be fastened simply to thesocket, for example fixedly screwed or welded onto the socket.

Now a vertical frame leg 70 can be secured on the insert 60. Thevertical frame leg 70 has for this purpose a connecting flange 72 towhich hollow chambers are adjacent on the right and left. The hollowchambers are formed in this case from a multiple angled section of sheetmetal. In detail an angled section 73. 1, 73.2 adjoins the connectingflange 72. The angled section 73.1, 73.2 extends into the fold 75.1,75.2 via a transitional section 74.1, 74.2. The folds 75.1, 75.2 are inthis case perpendicular to the lateral walls of the rack. From the folds75.1, 75.2 abutting flanges 76.1, 76.2 are angled off perpendicularlyand thus aligned parallel to the lateral walls of the rack. The lateralwall elements can abut the abutting flanges 76.1, 76.2 forming a seal.The abutting flanges 76.1, 76.2 turn into lateral walls 77.1, 77.2.

The lateral walls 77.1, 77.2 are at a right angle to one another andwith the guide faces 78.1, 78.2 form vertical folds which are directedtoward the inside of the rack.

Rows of fastening openings can be provided on the lateral walls 77.1,77.2 and the guide faces 78.1, 78.2 in which inserts can be fixed. Theguide faces 78.1, 78.2 extend into groove lateral walls 79.1, 79.2 whichare at an angle to one another and thus form back-cut dovetail grooves.

The groove lateral walls 79.1, 79.2 are bent up in their groove base toform end pieces 81.1, 81.2. The end pieces 81.1, 81.2 are alignedparallel to and abut the connecting flange 72.

For the fastening of the vertical frame leg 70 to the insert 60 theguide faces 78.1,78.2 abut the centering faces 61, 62 of the insert 60.The frame leg 70 can be screwed fixedly onto the insert 60. Thus a screwopening 81 is introduced in the connecting flange 72. The insert 60 hasa threaded opening 63.1 flush at a fastening section 63. Additionally oralternatively the vertical frame leg 70 can also be welded to the depthand length struts 20 and 30. The depth and length struts 20, 30 havenotches 25, 35 on their perpendicular folds 23, 33. The notches 25, 35are structured so that they are adapted to the outer contour of theframe leg 70. Thus a simple welding can also be done here. No pointedprojections are formed which would represent a danger of injury.

FIG. 2 shows how the socket composed of length and depth struts 20 and30 can be modified by means of a compensating piece 40 in such a waythat another vertical frame leg 10 with a cross-sectional geometrydifferent from frame leg 70 can be incorporated. For this another insert50 is used. The insert 50 has a fastening section 52 which abuts thewall 24 of the depth strut 20.

In the fastening section 52 threaded openings 52.1 are introduced onwhich the vertical frame leg 10 can be screwed. Furthermore the insert50 has three centering faces 51, 54, and 55. The centering face 55 abutsthe cover section 21 of the depth strut 20. The second centering face 54is disposed parallel to the fastening section 52 and abuts a stop face41 of the compensating piece 40. The compensating piece 40 is formedrectangularly in cross-section and rests on a right-angled fold 33 ofthe length strut 30. On the forward side the compensating element 40closes with a front side 42 the angled section 32. The compensatingelement 40 is pushed against the cover section 31 and can be securedhere, for example by welding.

Now the vertical frame leg 10 can be pushed onto the insert 50. Thevertical frame leg 10 has two lateral walls 13 and 15 at a right angleto one another. The two lateral walls 13 and 15 form one vertical foldwhich is directed toward the inside of the rack. The lateral wall 15extends into an angled section 12 which is directed parallel to thelateral face of the rack. Lateral wall elements can be placed on theangled section 12 to form a seal. The angled section 12 extends into twofolds 14.1, 14.2 via a transitional section 14.3. The folds 14.1, 14.2are at an angle to one another and form a free space in which, forexample, hinge elements or lock elements of a door lock apparatus can beincorporated.

The fold 14.1 strikes the lateral wall 13 on the back side and extendsinto an end section 14.5 which is directed parallel to the lateral wall13. The lateral wall 13 reaches over the end section 14.5 by means of afold 13.1. The lateral wall 13 and the fold 13.1 form a sealed edge 13.2running vertically.

In the mounted state the insert 50 is introduced into the opening 11enclosed by the vertical frame leg 10. The vertical frame leg 10 canthen be welded to the depth strut 20 and to the compensating piece 40.In addition, the vertical frame leg 10 can be screwed to the threadedopenings 52.1 of the fastening section 52.

In the case of the rack thus modified the slight gap between the twofront vertical frame legs 10 is enlarged. Now with this enlargementwider inserts can be introduced between the vertical frame legs 10. Apreferred application is in a rack which can be used in the case ofinserts with housing dimensions of 19" between the vertical frame legs10. If a metric construction version is to be achieved, then thecompensating piece 40 is omitted and the embodiment according to FIG. 1used.

What is claimed is:
 1. In a rack for a switching cabinet with horizontaldepth struts and length struts to which vertical frame legs are attachedin corner areas via corner connections where each of the cornerconnections has a compensating piece, the improvement comprising: thecompensating piece (40) accommodating differently structured ones of theattached vertical frame legs (10, 70) and the compensating pieces (40)each secured within an open spacing between adjacent ones of thevertical frame legs (10, 70);the depth struts and the length struts (20,30) formed as hollow profiles having openings accommodating one of aplurality of vertically standing inserts (50, 60) in the corner areas ofthe rack, the compensating pieces (40) introduced into the openspacings; the spacing between the vertical frame legs (10) set to one ofmetric and English component dimensions; the length struts and the depthstruts (20, 30) having a same cross-sectional form and bent from onesection of sheet metal, the length struts and the depth struts (20, 30)having a horizontal cover section (21, 31) to which an angled section(22, 32) running parallel to an outer side of the rack adjoins and towhich a perpendicular fold (23, 33) adjoins, a wall (24, 34) extendingparallel to the angled section (22, 32) adjoining the perpendicular fold(23, 33) and with the perpendicular fold (23, 33) forming an openingrecessed with respect to the angled section (22, 32) and the wall (24)extending into a base part (26, 36); the cover section (21, 31) set backin a longitudinal direction of the depth struts and the length struts(20, 30) with respect to the base part (26, 36) forming an opening forone of the inserts (50, 60); and one of the vertically standing inserts(50) introduced into the opening formed in the corner area, abutting thewall (24) of the depth strut (20) with a fastening section (52), andabutting a stop face (41) of one of the compensating pieces (40) whichis introduced between the one of the vertically standing inserts (50)and the cover section (31) of the length strut (30).
 2. In the rackaccording to claim 1 wherein the walls (24, 34) of one of the lengthstruts and the depth struts (20, 30) form a plurality of stop faces forone of the inserts (50, 60).